The Blind Warrior and the Butcherbird
by Saerphe
Summary: When Cyclonis sends an assassin after Aerrow, it's plain that our favorite sky knight needs to learn some new moves if he's going to survive. Piper decides to delve deeper into the art of healing. Weaverbird teams up with a new character to teach them.
1. Chapter 1: Nightmares

**Hello, fellow Fanfictioners! I'm finally back! My parents cut off all access to the internet for the last two weeks of summer, and now that I'm finally caught up with my reading, I can add stories and update older stories.**

**I know you guys are still waiting for the next chapter of 'Blue Moon', But... It's not done yet. The Writer's Block that's plaguing me with that story has really been eating away at my sanity. :P**

**I was bored due to lack of internet one day, and decided to go through all my old Microsoft Word files, where I found this. **

**It was an old pet project I started months ago, and I hadn't even finished the first chapter. I read what I had and thought, "Why the heck did I ditch this story? Oh... Right... Writer's block, lack of plot detail and character developement and so on." So I picked it up and started writing it again and got as far as five completed chapters.**

**This story was really motoring along and so, I've decided to post this story as an apology for disappearing for two weeks without notice. Sorry! D:**

**Now, enough the extremely long author's note. Enjoy this new(ish) story! :D**

**(I don't own Storm Hawks)**

_**Nightmares**_

Aerrow woke in a cold sweat, gasping. He stared around his room, taking in his surroundings. Aerrow tried to take deeper breaths, attempting to slow his heart rate. The memory of his nightmare was already fading from his mind. Aerrow couldn't remember anymore what it was about; all he knew was that it instilled great fear.

He shook it off and pulled on his uniform's shirt. He grabbed his energy blades from his desk, slinging the sheath over his back. He strode out onto the bridge, expecting to be the first one up, as usual.

"Look who decided to get up today." Finn drawled as Aerrow entered. The sky knight blinked, surprised to see the rest of the team was already up. He and Junko were sitting by the window. Stork was at the helm, as usual. Weaverbird and Piper were standing at the table near the back of the room, poring over some maps. Piper looked at Aerrow as he entered.

"What time is it?" Aerrow asked, perplexed. Weaverbird looked out the window at the sun's position.

"About midday. You slept a little late, it would seem." The Dragoness answered. Aerrow felt a little sheepish. Weaverbird looked at him a little harder, squinting as if to see something that the others missed.

"You didn't get much sleep, did you?" The Dragoness asked finally. Aerrow shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. Weaverbird waited for him to elaborate, concern in her sapphire eyes, "You haven't been sleeping well at all lately…" Weaverbird mused, "Come see me in the Infirmary after you've eaten."

Weaverbird turned back to Piper's maps with a slight rumble. Aerrow sighed; he knew he wasn't sick, so what could his team's healer possibly do for him? Aerrow headed to the kitchen, resigning himself to a check-up later.

* * *

Aerrow entered the Infirmary a few minutes later to find Weaverbird organizing her store of herbs. She pricked up her ears as he entered, but gave no other indication that she was aware of Aerrow's presence. She padded into her quarters, flicking her tail for him to join her. Aerrow followed grudgingly. Weaverbird curled up in the floor of her 'lair'. A handful of orange Serpegry crystals gathered in the corners, lighting the room and keeping it warm.

"Any idea _why_ you haven't been sleeping well?" Weaverbird asked, giving Aerrow a sidelong glance. Her sapphire eyes seemed to be peering into the sky knight's very soul. Aerrow settled himself cross-legged on the floor, looking away uncomfortably.

"Aerrow," Weaverbird continued, forcing him to look her in the eye, "I'm your healer; if something's wrong, you need to tell me about it so I can help you." Aerrow sighed, wanting to break the Dragoness' stare.

"Nightmares." Aerrow muttered after a while, so quietly that Weaverbird could barely hear him. The Dragoness rustled her wings slightly, repositioning them on her back.

"The same one every time?" Weaverbird asked, ruffling Aerrow's hair with her snout. Aerrow shrugged.

"Don't know. I never remember them when I wake up. Probably is, though." Weaverbird looked thoughtful, her tail lightly thumping on the floor.

"Recurring nightmares are usually easy enough to fix," Weaverbird finally broke the silence, "it doesn't help though, that you can't remember them." The Dragoness sighed, nonplussed.

"Alright. If you ever remember what the dream is about, come find me. I'll see what I can do. For now, get some rest." Aerrow got up and left the Infirmary.

* * *

_Aerrow stood in the middle of a dark expanse, but he knew he was anything but alone. He had his energy blades lit and was peering into the shadows for the presence, but he couldn't see a thing. The light from the blades couldn't penetrate the darkness._

"_Beware the Butcher Bird!" A hissing voice shrieked in his ear. Aerrow gasped, his heart pounding. He felt a thin steel blade tear through him and he cried out before crumpling. His vision fogged around the edges and finally, went black._

* * *

Aerrow sat up sharply, his chest heaving. He grasped the notebook lying on his bedside table and scribbled down as much of the dream as he could remember. Once he was sure he got all of the details he replaced the book and attempted to find his way into a peaceful slumber. It never came and the sky knight remained awake until the sun rose to light the world once more.

* * *

The Dark Ace strode aloofly into his master's throne room. He had been called in for a briefing on a new mission. Or so he had thought.

He had pressed his fist to his heart and was about to bow, when he froze. Someone behind him had pressed a thin, steel blade to his throat.

"Ah, the Dark Ace. I see you have met my newest recruit. Shrike, meet the Dark Ace. Dark Ace, Shrike." Master Cyclonis introduced offhandedly. The blade was removed from the Commander's throat. Dark Ace swung around to see who had threatened them, but there was no one in sight. Master Cyclonis turned to her commander.

"As you can see, Dark Ace, I have hired an Assassin. One who has mastered stealth and precision to the finest degree. Can you guess why?" Cyclonis crossed her arms and stared menacingly at her right hand man. Dark Ace remained silent.

"You claim to show no mercy, but you haven't been living up to that statement as of late." Cyclonis turned back to her crystal sorting console, "Since you can't even destroy a gaggle of rag-tag teenagers, I decided to hire someone with… Oh, shall we say, more finesse." Dark Ace blinked in disbelief. Cyclonis gave a sadistic chuckle and continued.

"Shrike will be taking over your mission. She will be sent to infiltrate the Condor and kill off that little punk of a sky knight. Then I _might_ just send you to finish the job, if you have proven yourself worthy of the honor." Dark Ace suppressed a sneer. Cyclonis waved him away.

"You may leave. I think it's about time you took a few days off. Just stay out of Shrike's way, and I'll make sure that her blade doesn't end up stuck in your chest." Dark Ace turned and left the throne room, enraged that his master would replace him so easily. He would simply have to beat this Shrike at her own game.

Dark Ace would make Master Cyclonis see how worthy he was, whether she liked it or not.

**There you have it! Man, first chappie and the plot's already thickening! :D Review pweaze! :3**


	2. Chapter 2: The Butcherbird

**Oh! I forgot to mention this last chappie, but good news for Storm Hawks fans! -drumroll-**

**SEASON TWO IS FINALLY OUT ON YTV!! YAAAAAAAAYYYY!!**

**That said, On with the story! :3**

_**The Butcher Bird**_

"'Beware of the Butcher Bird'?" Weaverbird asked. Aerrow had shown her the notes he had written for the nightmare from the previous night. If the fatigue wasn't showing before, it certainly was now; Aerrow had dark circles under his eyes and his muscles were slack with exhaustion. Weaverbird ran over the notes one more time before returning them to Aerrow.

"I have no idea what that means." The Dragoness eyed Aerrow with concern; he looked like he could fall asleep where he stood. "The dream may make itself clear in time, but it could be a long while until it does." Aerrow groaned; the last thing he needed was another week or more of sleeplessness. Weaverbird rumbled and pulled a stalk of Heartsure from a shelf, along with a book of matches and a small incense burner.

"Burn these flowers while you sleep. Hopefully they'll suppress the nightmares enough for you to get some rest. Speaking of which, go back to your quarters and lie down for a while. Piper and I will cover for you." The sky knight did as he was told without protest, Weaverbird's sapphire eyes following his progress down the hall.

* * *

Piper knocked softly on Aerrow's door. There came a muffled reply that sounded like a 'Come in' to Piper. Piper pressed the button to open the door and quietly entered the room. She was met by a sweet scent and saw wisps of Heartsure smoke were swirling around near the ceiling. Radarr scampered past Piper and leaped onto Aerrow's bed. He lightly poked the sky knight in the arm.

"Aerrow? It's time for dinner. If you're too tired to come now, I can bring you something later, if you like." Piper peered through the dark room to see her commander flopped down on his bed on top of the covers. Aerrow sat up groggily and stretched out his muscles. He sighed.

"M'kay. I'm coming." Aerrow stood and strode towards the door. Piper watched him, eyeing the dark circles under his eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want me to bring you something when you're actually awake enough to know what you're eating?" Piper asked. Radarr growled in agreement. Aerrow grinned sheepishly at her.

"No, I'm alright. At least I actually managed to get some sleep this time. I only got a couple hours last night." The sky knight rubbed the sleep from his eyes and indicated to Piper to join him. She smiled and the three of them left the room together, not noticing the shadow that darted into the room through the open window.

* * *

Aerrow reentered his room, chuckling. Much to Piper's chagrin, Finn, Junko and Radarr started flinging peas at each other with their spoons. When she had asked them to stop, Finn simply replied with: "What? It's the only thing peas are good for!" Piper had put her face in her hands and everyone laughed. Even Stork forced a small smile. Aerrow grinned and closed the door.

Almost immediately, Aerrow sensed that something wasn't right. He drew his energy blades and searched all the corners of his room. There was nothing. Aerrow sighed and lowered his blades.

"Man, I'm turning into Stork." He was about to sheathe his blades, but a thin, steel blade was pressed to his throat. Aerrow froze, not even daring to breathe.

"I would say your paranoia is justified, in this case." The person holding the blade hissed in Aerrow's ear. He gritted his teeth. She chuckled.

"You knew I was here the moment you closed that door. Impressive. I just love a challenge. I'll go easy on you this time, but next time you won't be so lucky. I'll expect more resistance next time, now that you know who I am." The blade was lifted from his throat and Aerrow spun around, searching for his assailant.

"By the way…" A smoke bomb exploded in front of Aerrow, blinding him. He coughed and tried to blink the smoke out of his eyes.

"_My name is Shrike!_" It was the last thing Aerrow heard before Shrike's blade was plunged into his chest. He cried out and fell to the floor. There was a soft _swish_ and Aerrow knew that Shrike was gone. Everything was going hazy. He was vaguely aware of his door opening.

"AERROW!" the wounded sky knight heard Piper scream his name in terror. She knelt beside him and turned him onto his back, examining the wound. Piper desperately wanted to pull the knife out, but she knew it could cause more damage if she did. The other Storm Hawks rushed in and Junko scooped Aerrow up into his arms and started carrying him to the Infirmary. The knife shifted and Aerrow moaned.

"Aerrow, stay with me. Look at me, okay?" Aerrow turned his gaze towards Piper. She took his hand, "You have to stay awake, Aerrow. Don't you dare close your eyes." Piper ordered him. Her amber eyes were filled with desperation and fear. Aerrow tightened his grip on Piper's hand, struggling not to pass out.

They burst into the Infirmary. Piper called for Weaverbird while Junko carefully laid Aerrow down on the examination table. The other Storm Hawks waited outside. Junko left to join the others.

"What… Oh no." Weaverbird gasped and galloped over to Aerrow's side. The Dragoness started evaluating the knife. She grasped a thick towel and waved Piper over. Weaverbird deftly pulled the knife out and Aerrow gasped. Then she pressed the towel to the wound.

"Try to stop the bleeding. I need to get some equipment." Weaverbird instructed Piper, laying the bloodied knife to the side of her tool tray. Piper pressed her hands to the towel. Weaverbird swiftly made her way to her supply cabinets.

Aerrow shuddered, whimpering softly. Piper gently stroked his hair back from his face.

"Easy, Aerrow. Just hold still. You'll be alright." Piper murmured assurances to her friend, lifting the towel every so often to see how much the bleeding had slowed. The wound itself didn't seem very deep, but the third time she checked, Piper caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a sliver of steel.

"Weaverbird, a piece of the blade broke off inside him!" Piper called to the healer. Weaverbird hurried over and carefully examined Shrike's blade. A tiny chip was missing from the tip. The Dragoness turned to Piper.

"Go get your blocking crystal, now." Weaverbird ordered. Piper dashed out of the Infirmary and to her lab, where she grabbed the crystal in question. The crystal specialist returned to find that Weaverbird had removed Aerrow's shirt and was evaluating the wound more closely. There were leather straps binding Aerrow's wrists and ankles to the examination table.

"I've got it. But why do you need it?" Piper inquired as she handed over the stone. Weaverbird took the blocker and held it just above the wound. There was a flash and a throbbing sound. Weaverbird swiftly plucked the sliver out. She sealed it in the small crystal shielder that was kept in the Infirmary, just in case.

"It wasn't a part of the blade. That blade was built for holding shards of crystal in the tip, in this case, a Poison crystal. I think we managed to get rid of it before it could cause much damage, but a lot of it escaped into Aerrow's system. Look." Piper leaned over Aerrow to see what Weaverbird was talking about; the edges of the wound had turned a nasty shade of purple. Weaverbird took another long look at the wound.

"It looks like I'll have to cauterize it if it's to heal properly." Weaverbird continued, "I'll need you to help keep Aerrow still; it's not a pleasant treatment." Piper moved around the table and carefully pillowed Aerrow's head on her hands.

Weaverbird grasped an iron rod and breathed a tongue of flame onto the tip until it glowed a bright, hot orange. Then she placed a paw on Aerrow's chest to keep him steady and carefully thrust the tip of the iron inside the wound.

Aerrow convulsed and released a choked cry of agony. Piper firmly held his head still and murmured reassurances in his ear. Aerrow's peridot eyes flew open and darted around the room for a moment. Piper noticed Weaverbird readying the iron again. She leaned in closer.

"Aerrow, look at me." Piper instructed. Aerrow's eyes locked on to Piper's and he swallowed. "You have to hold still, alright? It'll be over with soon." Aerrow shut his eyes and leaned his cheek into Piper's fingers. Sweat rolled down the sides of his face.

Cauterizing the wound only took a few more agonizing minutes. Piper helped Weaverbird wind bandages around Aerrow's chest.

Once Aerrow was settled on a soft Infirmary bed, Weaverbird sighed. Piper wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Now all we have to worry about is finding the antidote to that poison crystal." Weaverbird eyed the crystal shielder apprehensively. She returned her gaze to Aerrow. He appeared to be asleep, a cool damp cloth laid across his brow.

"Who did this to him?" The Dragoness asked Piper. The girl shrugged.

"Maybe Aerrow knows. I'll ask him once he's coherent enough to remember." Piper started for the door, but as she passed Aerrow's bed, a set of weak, clammy fingers caught her wrist in their grip. Piper looked down to see Aerrow staring up at her.

"Will you stay?" Aerrow whispered. Piper blinked at the unfamiliar note in her leader's voice, "I don't want to be alone…" He trailed off with a few small coughs. Piper realized what it was in Aerrow's voice that unnerved her: it was Fear.

"After tonight, I'm not surprised." Piper murmured softly. She drew up a chair and settled herself next to Aerrow. She brushed his hair back from his face and turned the cloth over so that the cooler side was in contact with his skin. Piper clasped his hand; it was cold. Aerrow's shivery fingers gripped Piper's hand.

"I'm right here if you need me." Piper said softly, but Aerrow was already dead asleep. Piper sighed as she fingered his crimson locks. His eyes wandered restlessly beneath his eyelids.

"You've had a rough day." Piper remarked. Aerrow shifted in his sleep, wincing. Weaverbird rumbled in agreement. She turned off the lights so that the only sources of light were the clusters of Serpegry crystals in the corners.

Piper's eyelids steadily grew heavier until she leaned on Aerrow's bed and fell fast asleep.

**Hello, My name is Saerphe, and I'm addicted to character torture, specifically, Aerrow torture. XD Really, I am addicted. I should get help. X3**


	3. Chapter 3: An Unlikely Saviour

**Hang on to your butts everyone! PLOT TWIST AHEAD!! 8D**

**I don't own Storm Hawks. But if someone wants to give me them for my sixteenth birthday, I'd be sooooo happy! 83**

_**An Unlikely Savior**_

A soft moan of discomfort from Aerrow woke Piper from her slumber. She sat up and smoothed down her wayward hair.

"Pi… Piper?" Aerrow rasped, his breathing ragged. His chest twinged sharply and he groaned. Piper rested her hand over the wound, trying to soothe the pain. It settled after a few more moments.

"Shhh… Easy. I'm here." Piper reassured him, "How are you feeling?" Aerrow was about to reply when he suddenly went pale.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Aerrow choked out. Piper's eyes widened for a second and she whisked an empty bucket out from under the bed. Now she knew why there was one kept under each bed in the Infirmary.

All that came were a few dry coughs. Aerrow spat a wad of blood into the bottom of the bucket before falling back into the sheets, sweating and shivering. Piper stowed the bucket near the foot of the bed and felt Aerrow's forehead with the back of her hand; a fever had set in sometime during the night.

Piper was just filling a bowl with cold water for Aerrow's fever when there came a soft knock on the door. Junko peeked inside. Piper motioned for him to come in and he stepped inside, trying to be as quiet as he could. The Wallop almost looked as though he'd been crying.

"Junko, are you okay?" What had happened the night before must have really gotten to the poor Wallop. He sniffled a bit and nodded.

"Is Aerrow gonna be okay?" Junko asked, scuffing his hoof on the floor. Piper bit her lip; she wanted to tell Junko that Aerrow would be just fine, for his sake. But she also didn't want to lie to her teammate about their sky knight's condition.

"The wound's not deep, it should heal okay, but…" Piper sighed. Junko kept his big grey eyes on her while she tried to find the right words, "There was a poison crystal in the blade. A lot of it got in his system, and we don't know how potent it is. We have to find the antidote." Junko visibly sagged.

"Hey, buck up there, Junko," Aerrow rasped from across the room, "We've survived worse than this." He winced almost imperceptibly as he eased his battered body into a more comfortable position. Junko smiled sadly and turned back to Piper.

"Uhm… Finn was wondering if you would come out and make breakfast…" Junko said to Piper. It sounded as though he was hoping Piper would cook for them as well. Piper shook her head with a slight chuckle.

"Nice to see someone's not bothered by what happened. I'll be there in a minute. Why don't you visit with Aerrow for a while?" Piper caught Aerrow raise an eyebrow out of the corner of her eye. Junko smiled and nodded before lumbering over to sit next to the sky knight. Piper turned to Aerrow.

"Anything you need? Something to eat, maybe?" Aerrow shook his head.

"A glass of water would be nice," he answered, "I don't think I could keep anything solid down anyway." Piper nodded. She took a moment to make sure he was warm enough and laid the cool cloth over his brow again before heading for the kitchen.

* * *

Piper was just putting the bacon on the table and pouring a glass of water for Aerrow when the alarms went off. She hurried out onto the bridge.

"What is it?" Piper asked Stork. The Merb shrunk against the helm.

"Cyclonian skimmer. There's only one. It's a sure sign of an ambush. They send out one skimmer to lure us to where the rest of the fleet is hiding and then…" Stork shuddered, "I suggest we just pretend we didn't see it and keep going." A little red light on the helm started blinking and there was a soft beep.

"It's hailing us…" Piper said in wonderment. Before Stork could react, she flipped the switch that opened the communications system. An unpleasantly familiar voice floated out of the radio and into the air of the Condor.

"I was afraid you would ignore me, for a second there." The Dark Ace's smug drawl fell on the Storm Hawks' ears, "I'm here to negotiate."

"What do you have that we could possibly want?" Piper spat angrily. The Dark Ace chuckled.

"I heard about your sky knight. Such a pity. A Poison crystal, am I correct?" Piper was about to snap back a retort when she stopped.

"How would you know something like that?" Piper inquired dubiously. There was a derisive snort on the other side of the line.

"Don't insult me; how could I not know that Cyclonis sent an assassin after him?" Piper gasped. Dark Ace continued.

"When it came to this mission, I got the short end of the stick. I don't want Aerrow to die anymore than you do. Unless it's by my hand, of course. Nobody comes between me and my prey." Piper narrowed her eyes.

"What are you getting at?"

"I have something you need," Dark Ace reiterated, "The vial containing the only antidote for the poison crystal. I also managed to get access to the assassin's files, but that little tidbit is mine unless you strike a bargain with me." Piper swallowed apprehensively.

"So what do you want in return?" There was a malevolent chuckle.

"Meet me on Terra Knoll tomorrow evening and I'll tell you exactly what it is I want. We need to talk without interruptions." The communicator clicked off. Stork stared at Piper, his large yellow eyes wide with fear. Finn gaped at the navigator as well.

"You're not seriouslygoing to meet with him, are you?" Finn demanded incredulously. Piper returned the sharpshooter's gaze.

"What choice do we have, Finn? Aerrow needs that antidote. If he doesn't get it soon, he's a goner." Finn's countenance deflated a bit.

"So… Is breakfast ready yet?" Finn grinned, apprehension forgotten. Piper retrieved the glass of water, rolled her eyes and headed back to the Infirmary.

"Yes, Finn. Breakfast is served."

* * *

Piper passed Junko in the hall.

"Hey, how's Aerrow?" Piper asked. Junko shrugged.

"I don't really know. He fell asleep again." The two continued on their way.

When Piper reached the Infirmary she had to suppress a giggle. A soft, squishy-looking brown teddy bear had been tucked under Aerrow's arm while he slept. What surprised Piper was that Aerrow seemed to have a firm grip on it.

Piper grinned and considered snapping a photo of the scene. Seeing how pale Aerrow was, she decided against it. Setting the glass on the bedside table, she settled herself beside him and just watched as he slept. Piper wanted to preserve this sight in her memory for as long as she lived.

Aerrow sighed in his sleep and pulled the bear closer until it rested snug against him. Piper quirked a grin and giggled softly. Aerrow's eyelids fluttered and Piper fell silent.

After a time, Aerrow drew a ragged breath and opened his eyes. The once vibrant orbs were dull, reflecting the sky knight's exhaustion. Piper stroked his cheek with a finger. Aerrow's eyes flicked towards her.

"Hey," Piper murmured, "nice bear." Aerrow glanced at the teddy bear. He grinned sheepishly.

"By order of Doctor Junko," Aerrow replied with a weak chuckle, "He says that cuddling a teddy bear makes anyone feel better. I just played along to humor him, but I guess I fell asleep." Piper laughed.

"So _do_ you feel any better?" Piper asked jokingly. Aerrow considered for a moment.

"A little, actually." He laughed, but it turned into wracking coughs. Piper eased him into a sitting position and passed him the glass of water. Aerrow accepted it, but his hands were shaking. Piper helped him steady the glass. He took a few weak swallows before handing it back.

"Thanks." Aerrow muttered. He tried to hide it, but Piper noticed his face was rather drawn; the wound must have been paining him. Aerrow tried to ease himself back down, but his injury protested sharply and he gasped. Piper helped him to lay back into the pillows. Aerrow gritted his teeth, but made no complaint. Piper gently sponged his forehead with a cool cloth. She put a hand on his chest; it was unusually warm beneath the bandages.

"Maybe we should get Weaverbird to look at it." Piper suggested. Aerrow tried to steady himself with a few deep breaths.

"Maybe." He grudgingly agreed. Piper stroked his cheek with her knuckles. Aerrow sighed, taking a little relief from the contact. He raised his hand and rested it over Piper's fingers, holding her hand to his cheek. She smiled sadly. Aerrow closed his eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.

Piper sighed and brushed his hair from his face. He winced slightly.

"You just don't get a break, do you?" Piper asked softly. Aerrow gave a small moan. Piper frowned and carefully rested his hand back on the uninjured side of his chest. Piper quietly stood and left the Infirmary. She was needed to chart a course to terra Knoll.

Just before she left the room, Piper looked back at Aerrow. He shivered and twitched in his sleep. As she closed the door, Piper vowed that she would do whatever she had to in order to get Aerrow the antidote he needed.

**There it is! Actually, you could prob'ly see that twist comin' a mile away! XD I didn't exactly make it discreet in the first chappie.**

**The teddy bear is for my own amusement. X3 And hopefully yours too! XD It's true, though. Teddy bears make everyone feel better! I bet even Cyclonis has a teddy bear! It would be dark purple with a skull and crossbones stitched into its belly. Yes, it would be glorious! X3**

**Review, Please! It's the best kind of motivation there is! If you have constructive critism, offer that too! I'm always looking for a way to improve myself. -nodnod-**


	4. Chapter 4: Negotiation

**Chapter four, comin' right up! I've got nothing to say, save for my usual disclaimer...**

**I DOES NOT OWN STORM HAWKS!! Yes, my grammar are good! XD XD XD**

_**Negotiation**_

Piper awoke with a jolt; something wasn't right. She immediately got up and headed to the Infirmary to check on Aerrow.

Piper found him sweating and gasping for breath. Aerrow was tense and clearly in pain. She carefully moved his hand off of his chest and hissed through her teeth; a crimson stain was spreading under the bandages.

Piper softly called for Weaverbird. The Dragoness groggily stepped out of her quarters and stretched, giving a cat-like yawn. She briskly trotted over when she had gotten the blood flowing again. Weaverbird examined the bandages before swiftly tearing them off with one claw; the wound had reopened again. Weaverbird sighed.

"It must not have sealed properly. I'm going to have to cauterize it again, or he runs the risk of picking up an infection." Piper frowned.

"There might be something in the poison that keeps it from healing." The navigator suggested. Weaverbird rumbled softly.

"That may be, but it must be sealed all the same. We'll try again and see how it goes. Can you clean it out a bit while I get what I need?" Piper nodded and went to fill a bowl with hot water. She bundled a towel out of a cupboard and slung it over her arm.

Piper had no sooner soaked the towel in the hot water and pressed it to the open wound when Aerrow yelped and cringed. His hand flew to her wrist as though to fend her off, but Piper had caught his hand and stroked it soothingly. Aerrow's eyes opened halfway.

"Shhh…" Piper murmured softly, "Easy, now. Let me look after this, okay?" Aerrow's arm slackened and she let go of his hand. Piper sponged the wound with the towel again. Aerrow tensed and hissed through his teeth, but held still.

By the time Weaverbird had returned with the cauterizing iron and a paw-full of strong smelling herbs, the bleeding had mostly stopped; the wound now only appeared to be an angry red slit in Aerrow's chest. When Aerrow caught sight of the iron, he moaned in dread. Piper stroked his hair back.

"Don't watch, Aerrow. You'll be okay…" Piper continued to murmur assurances to her friend, and cooled his brow with a damp cloth. She continued to talk to Aerrow while Weaverbird cauterized the wound for a second time. It gave the young sky knight something steady to hold onto while he rode the pain out.

Weaverbird soon put the iron aside and tore open one of the fleshy leaves she had brought among the herbs. She squeezed the juice onto the wound; it stung at first, but Aerrow found that it eased the pain well enough.

Weaverbird took the rest of the herbs and ground them together in a mortar. The result was a thick green paste that the Dragoness then spread liberally over Aerrow's chest. He sighed and relaxed into the pillows. Aerrow's chest was soon tightly bound with clean linen bandages. Weaverbird brushed him with her snout before returning to her quarters.

"Good thing you… Showed up when you did…" Aerrow murmured, breathing heavily. Piper smiled softly.

"Good thing…" She agreed. Piper squeezed Aerrow's shoulder; he was cold and shivering. She retrieved a few thick, fleece blankets from a cupboard and gently spread them over her friend. Deciding to stay with him for the remainder of the night, Piper settled herself beside Aerrow and clasped his hand. He was soon asleep again.

"Don't worry, Aerrow," Piper whispered, "we'll get that antidote tomorrow. You'll be just fine." She just hoped that the Dark Ace wasn't leading her into a trap.

* * *

Piper was walking down a street in a small town on Terra Knoll. It seemed like a pretty shady terra, so Piper had donned a thick coat with a hood to hide her face. She wasn't taking any chances. Plus, it was cold; the terra was very close to terra Nord.

Piper thought back to just before she had left. The Condor's heating system was not working well. She had had to pile several thick blankets over Aerrow, he was shivering so hard. Piper had taken his hand, only to find it was like ice. Piper bit her lip, hoping he was warm enough.

The navigator was just passing by an inn when she saw a very familiar Talon Switch-Blade Elite parked outside of it. She narrowed her eyes and pushed the door open.

Piper found herself in what appeared to be a restaurant or a bar of some sort. She sat down at a booth and waved away the waitress that approached her. Piper stared around at the other occupants, wondering where the Dark Ace could be.

That was when she caught sight of a man wearing a hooded cloak sitting in a dark corner. Piper couldn't see his face, but she caught a glimpse of gleaming red eyes and knew she had found who she was looking for. She strode over and settled herself in the seat opposite from him. He eyed her malevolently and she lowered her hood slightly so he could see who she was. He blinked and relaxed somewhat.

"I was wondering if you'd ever show up." Dark Ace drawled quietly. Piper huffed.

"Let's dispense with idle chatter and get down to business, shall we?" Piper hissed. Dark Ace chuckled.

"If you insist." He pulled a tiny crystal vial filled with a thick purple liquid out of his cloak, "Let me guess. He's suffering from nausea, fever, chills, mild internal bleeding, is struggling to breathe, and is experiencing excessive pain in the area of the crystal's entry." The Dark Ace rattled off the symptoms. Piper thought back over the past two days and nodded. The Talon Commander flourished the vial, "Then this is indeed the correct antidote." Piper sighed, relieved.

"Now, what do you want us to do? Surely you're not going to give us the antidote for free?" Piper asked. Dark Ace grinned darkly.

"The assassin that attacked Aerrow has usurped me from my mission. I was supposed to be the one to go after Aerrow, as usual, but Master Cyclonis didn't see me fit for this fight anymore. She hired that assassin to go in my place." He fingered the antidote slightly. Piper stared.

"So, what exactly are you getting at?" Dark Ace snorted.

"I want you Storm Hawks to get that assassin out my way. Then things can get back to normal and we can all act like this didn't happen." Piper narrowed her eyes.

"Why can't you do it yourself?" She asked suspiciously. The Dark Ace rolled his eyes.

"Don't you think it would be rather suspicious if the assassin Master Cyclonis hired was killed right after she was sent to destroy my arch enemy? I was told to go take a vacation when Shrike was sent. Master Cyclonis was testing my loyalty." Dark Ace gave Piper a sideways glance, "but if you'd rather not get tangled up in all of this, I can just take the vial and return to Cyclonia as though nothing ever happened." Piper's breath hitched in her chest. Dark Ace raised an eyebrow. Piper sighed reluctantly.

"All right. We're in." Piper looked at the ground uncomfortably. Dark Ace passed her the vial and a sheaf of papers. Piper stared at them. Dark Ace stood and prepared to leave.

"What are these for?" She asked suspiciously. The Talon Commander didn't even look her way.

"I infiltrated Cyclonis' files and took the one belonging to Shrike. This has all the information you need to figure out a way to defeat her." And then he was gone. Piper stood and swiftly left the inn.

* * *

"You got it!" Weaverbird exclaimed as Piper showed her the vial. She handed it to the Dragoness.

"Yup. As well as some information on the assassin that attacked Aerrow." Weaverbird nodded approvingly. The healer filled a syringe with the antidote and pulled back the blankets that covered Aerrow's chest. She removed the bandages and pierced the needle through the partially sealed skin and into the wound. Aerrow twitched and gave a choked gasp. Weaverbird injected the antidote and swiftly pulled the needle out.

Piper eyed the wound uneasily; it was still weeping slightly.

"Maybe we should clean the wound a bit before we bandage it up." Piper said, thinking out loud. Weaverbird smiled.

"You're getting to be a natural healer." Weaverbird commended. Piper blinked.

"Really? I'm just…" She trailed off. Weaverbird ruffled Piper's hair affectionately.

"Following an instinct?" Piper nodded. Weaverbird grinned, "That's half of what healing is. It can be a good thing to follow your instincts when it comes to tending to a wound. It can sometimes lead you straighter than any textbook remedy can." Piper pulled out a cloth and filled a bowl with hot water.

"I'll never be as good as you." Piper sighed. Weaverbird bumped her gently with her snout.

"You don't have to be. All you need is to be able to take care of him until you can find someone who knows a cure. There are healers all over the place; we're not exactly hard to come by." The Dragoness winked. Piper smiled sadly and started cleaning Aerrow's wound. The young sky knight was soon re-bandaged and sleeping peacefully. Piper watched him for a while, thinking. She turned to Weaverbird, who was settling herself in her quarters.

"Weaverbird?" Piper called softly. The Dragoness looked at her inquisitively. Piper swallowed.

"Can you teach me about healing?"

**Dark Ace, you dirty double-crosser! ...Or is he a triple crosser? -muses- I dunno.**

**And now the ball really starts rollin'. Just one more prospective teacher to introduce! You'll meet him in the next chapter. :3 I think you'll like him. I certainly do! **

**Stay Tuned!**


	5. Chapter 5: Teachers

**I think the title is quite self-explanatory here. ;) Read on, my faithful readers, read on! :3**

_**Teachers**_

Piper strode into the Infirmary the next morning to find Aerrow sitting up and nibbling on a piece of buttered toast. The colour had returned to his face and his peridot eyes were bright again. Piper grinned and sat beside him.

"Feeling better?" She asked. Aerrow flashed his lopsided grin at her.

"Much. I couldn't believe how hungry I was when I woke up." He took another bite of his toast. Piper chuckled.

"Well, it's been almost three days since you last ate." Piper pressed the back of her hand to Aerrow's forehead, much to his chagrin. His skin was warm and the fever had broken. Piper lowered her hand and they sat in silence for a while.

"So, when do you think Weaverbird will let you leave the Infirmary?" Piper asked. Aerrow swallowed and regarded what was left of the toast.

"She says I might be able to tomorrow. As long as my wound has sealed properly." He popped the last bit of toast into his mouth and licked the butter off of his fingers. Piper smiled.

Aerrow turned to Piper. "So what do you think we should do about that assassin?" Piper blinked, caught by surprise. She noticed that there was some apprehension in Aerrow's eyes. Piper frowned.

"Don't worry, Aerrow. We'll find a way to beat her." Piper assured him. Aerrow grimaced.

"That's the problem, Piper." He sighed, "When she attacked me, I couldn't see her. I couldn't even hear her. It was like she was invisible. How can we fight an enemy we can't even see?" Aerrow frowned dejectedly. Piper put a hand on his shoulder. Weaverbird looked over from where she was sorting her herb stores.

"I think I know of someone who can help." The Dragoness padded over and settled herself beside the two humans. They waited for Weaverbird to elaborate.

"There was once a famous warrior who fought in the war for the Darkstone. He fought many battles and never lost, not even once."

"He must have been a great fighter." Aerrow mused, "But how can he help us?"

"He was, but this is the reason why he was such a famous warrior: He was born blind." Aerrow's and Piper's eyes widened. Weaverbird smiled, "That particular Dragon found a way to fight an enemy he couldn't see."

"Is he still alive? Do you know where he is?" Piper asked excitedly. Weaverbird nodded.

"He's getting old, but he is still alive and well. Perhaps he would agree to teach you, Aerrow." Aerrow grinned.

"What are we waiting for? We've got a teacher to find!" Aerrow exclaimed. He frowned inwardly.

'_I just hope we can find him before Shrike comes back…_'

* * *

"Are you sure this is the place?" Piper asked incredulously. Aerrow, Weaverbird and Piper stood at the edge of the Condor's runway and stared out at the dusty brown mountains. They had landed on a plateau that overlooked and equally dusty brown valley, with the exception of a small, spring-fed pool in the center. A few scraggly plants grew around it. Weaverbird tapped her Dragon Crystal with a claw.

"Quite sure. All we need to do is find a way to approach without startling him. We Dragons tend to get jumpy in our old age." Weaverbird crouched so that Aerrow and Piper could climb onto her back. Aerrow swung himself onto the Dragoness' back with relative ease and pulled Piper up behind him.

Weaverbird leapt from the runway and into the dusty valley below. She opened her wings to catch the warm thermals that rose from the valley floor. Weaverbird folded her wings and landed gracefully before a spacious cave in the sandstone.

Weaverbird peered inside and let Aerrow and Piper down from her back. She motioned for them to stay behind her while she entered the cave.

"Master Darksight, are you here?" Weaverbird called into the cave. There came an ear-blasting roar from its depths. Aerrow and Piper covered their ears.

"_Who goes there?!_" A Draconian shout echoed from the cave. Weaverbird flattened her small ears nervously.

"Weaverbird, daughter of Wolfsong." Weaverbird replied, "We have a favour to ask of you." There was a loud rumble.

"Have we met?" The next question was considerably quieter this time.

"No, Master Darksight."

"Have I heard of you before?" This question sounded more like Darksight was asking himself, rather than Weaverbird.

"Possibly, Master Darksight. I get around a fair bit. I'm also a healer, though not really a renowned one." There was another rumble and Darksight finally stepped out of the cave. Aerrow's eyes widened and Piper shrunk back a bit, nervous.

Darksight was enormous. Where Weaverbird was around eight feet tall at the shoulder, Darksight was close to twenty feet tall. He was about fifty feet long with another fifty feet of tail. The isoscele on the tip of his tail was as long as the Dark Ace's sword. Aerrow and Piper had to crane their necks to see his face.

He limped up to Weaverbird and his long neck snaked downwards until he and Weaverbird were eye to eye. Darksight's unseeing eyes were masked by a milky white film. His scales were pitch black, but appeared to be covered in grey dust. Aerrow wasn't sure if this was from age, or from living in the sandstone valley.

"If you are a healer, then you can fix my paw." Darksight held it out; a large sliver of stone had pierced the soft pad. It was weeping blood and there was a pale yellow tinge in the dark skin around it. Weaverbird winced.

"That sliver has been stuck for days. I've tried to get it out, but it only goes in deeper." Darksight tossed his head in frustration. Weaverbird rumbled as she examined the sliver in question. She turned Darksight's gnarled old paw over until the pad faced upward. The Dragoness gripped the sliver in her teeth and yanked it out. She then guided the older Dragon to the pool and dipped his paw in. Darksight sighed with relief.

"It looks like it has a mild infection," Weaverbird said slowly, "I'll have to make a poultice of rosemary and bandage it up, but other than that it should be fine." Darksight flexed his toes, satisfied.

"Now, what did you have to ask of me?" Darksight swung his head around, flickering his forked tongue. Weaverbird nudged Aerrow forward towards the old Drake so that Darksight could catch his scent more easily. Darksight pressed his enormous muzzle into Aerrow's shirt and inhaled deeply. Aerrow almost thought he'd get sucked up into Darksight's gargantuan lungs.

"Hmm… Human, obviously…" Darksight muttered, puzzling out Aerrow's scent, "an adolescent male…" Darksight sniffed again, poking Aerrow's breastplate. He walked around the perturbed sky knight, nosing him here and there, taking in and analyzing Aerrow's scent, "I smell fresh air, metal, lots of metal, crystal fuel… Some sort of small animal…" Darksight explored the sheaths that held Aerrow's energy blades, "Blue Striker crystals, interesting… Very interesting."

Darksight had walked all the way around Aerrow now and sat in front of him. The Drake's white eyes seemed to stare straight through him. "You must be a sky knight." Darksight concluded. Aerrow nodded- and then remembered that Darksight couldn't see.

"Er… Yes, I am." Aerrow forced his vocal cords to start functioning again. Darksight turned to Weaverbird again.

"What do you want me to do with him?" Darksight snuffed slightly. Weaverbird rustled her wings on her back.

"He was attacked by an assassin about four days ago," Weaverbird started to explain, "One that was so stealthy, she was virtually invisible. The assassin will return; when we don't know." Darksight flicked an ear nonchalantly. Weaverbird rumbled, slightly irritated, and continued, "He needs you to teach him how to fight an enemy he can't see."

"When did Dragons start meddling in the affairs of humans?" The question contained a hint of scorn. Weaverbird bared her teeth.

"Not only am I bound to this human, but he is also a good friend of mine. This is not a threat that I can protect him from. If I could, we wouldn't be here right now." Weaverbird paused for a moment before adding: "And you would have had to live with that sliver for considerably longer than a few days." Darksight growled irritably and pawed the ground.

"Very well. I will teach him. That doesn't mean I have to like it." He turned padded to a more open space, "Consider it a favour for a favour." He sat back on his haunches and flicked the tip of his tail.

"Come here, boy, I want to see exactly what kind of fighter you are. And don't you dare go easy on me just because I'm old and blind." Aerrow looked at Weaverbird, who nudged his back encouragingly. The Dragoness made sure that Piper was safe on her back before flying up to a cliff in the sandstone to watch.

Darksight took a fighting stance, his paws splayed out as though he was gripping the ground. Aerrow thought it looked rather awkward, but said nothing; he drew his energy blades and took a fighting stance of his own. Darksight's small ears twitched as Aerrow activated his blades.

They stood and watched each other for a long time, waiting for the other to strike first. Aerrow eventually tightened his grip on his blades and lunged. Darksight easily deflected the blow with the isoscele on the tip of his tail. He leapt lightly over Aerrow and out of the way. Aerrow blinked, surprised at how quick and accurate the move was. He stood and waited for Darksight to attack. It never came. The blind Drake held his stance and waited patiently for Aerrow to attack again.

Aerrow noticed that Darksight was favoring his injured paw slightly. He decided to use it to his advantage and leaped at Darksight from that side. Aerrow's feet had barely brushed the ground when Darksight lashed out with his paw to bat the sky knight away. Aerrow barely managed to roll beyond the range of that blow. He staggered to his feet.

"You have good reflexes." Darksight said, flexing the toes on his paw as he scooped nothing but air. Aerrow shifted his feet and Darksight lunged without warning. The Drake's tail swung around and knocked Aerrow into a hard wall of sandstone. Stars burst in front of his eyes as the wind was knocked out of him. He blinked the dust out of his eyes and attempted to fill his lungs with air.

Aerrow struggled to his feet again and barely parried a swipe from Darksight's tail. He brought his blades up just in time to block. The impact from the blow numbed his arms and nearly sent Aerrow reeling. Darksight was stronger than he had expected, despite his age.

Darksight pushed down hard on Aerrow's blades, trying to break through his defense. Aerrow gritted his teeth and widened his stance, holding his ground. Beads of sweat rolled down the sides of his face.

Just when Aerrow thought he couldn't hold the block any longer, he jumped out of the way. Darksight's isoscele slammed hard into the ground and got lodged in the dusty soil. He struggled to pull it out. Aerrow used this momentary pause to catch his breath; his arms felt like jelly and they hung limply at his sides.

"You're quite strong, for a scrawny little human." Darksight called teasingly. Aerrow gritted his teeth, face flushed.

Getting desperate, Aerrow shot a few blasts of blue energy at Darksight. The Drake pricked up his ears and folded his expansive wings around his body, shielding himself. The blasts dissipated harmlessly against the leathery membrane.

Darksight poked his head out from behind the shield that his wings had formed and opened his gigantic maw. A blast of orange flame came in Aerrow's direction and he threw himself out of the way. His eyes widened as the boulder he had been standing in front of melted into a puddle of molten rock.

With one strong tug, Darksight dislodged his isoscele from the ground. He bunched his hind legs and sprang at Aerrow with surprising speed. Aerrow rolled out of the way of Darksight's crushing paws and jumped onto a ledge on the cliff. Darksight lunged after Aerrow as the sky knight continued to leap and climb higher up the cliff.

Aerrow was soon a safe distance away from Darksight's jaws and paused for a few moments. Darksight froze, swinging his head this way and that. Aerrow remained stock still and silent, observing as Darksight continued to search for him. Darksight was nearly out of breath too; his enormous lungs were heaving hard. The old Drake sat back on his haunches for a moment, continuing to listen for Aerrow. Darksight's paws were spread across the cliff wall in front of him.

Watching this, Aerrow realized that if he made no movement or noise, he was invisible to Darksight. Since the Drake was breathing so heavily, he had no way to sniff the sky knight out, either. Looking at Darksight's paws, Aerrow figured that he must be pinpointing Aerrow's location through vibrations in the ground.

Darksight roared in frustration. Aerrow had faded from his senses, and his heavy breathing and pounding heart made it impossible to hear him. Darksight waited, catching his breath and trying to slow his heart rate.

As lightly and quietly as he could, Aerrow leaped off of the ledge he stood on and opened his glider. He soared a great distance around Darksight and hovered on an updraft for a moment. Darksight continued to search for Aerrow on the cliff face.

Turning around, Aerrow descended as quietly as he could towards his opponent. If he could just get close enough to Darksight, he might have a chance at winning. Once Aerrow was close enough, he snapped his glider wings closed, intending to land on Darksight's neck.

Unfortunately, Darksight heard the click of Aerrow's glider as it retracted and spun around. He swung his giant paw and connected with Aerrow's body before he even realized Darksight had turned. Aerrow was knocked out of the air and slammed into the ground hard. He slid across the ground and was stopped by one of the valley walls. The sky knight didn't get up.

"_Aerrow!_" Piper cried in fear. Weaverbird immediately glided down into the valley. Once they landed, Piper knelt beside her leader and started searching for a pulse. Darksight lumbered down from the cliff face and sniffed at Aerrow's limp body.

"Oh dear. I must have hit him a little harder than I intended." Darksight admitted sheepishly. Weaverbird rumbled in disapproval. Piper eased her leader onto his back, keeping her hand under his head to keep it off the hard ground. Aerrow moaned and shifted before blearily opening his eyes. Piper sighed with relief and carefully slid her arm under Aerrow's back until he was leaning against her shoulder. He winced as his body protested; he didn't want to move at all for a _long_ time.

"What happened?" Aerrow croaked. He hurt in places he hadn't known he had, but he was quite sure that nothing was broken. Weaverbird nosed his ribs to check; they were definitely bruised, but all were intact. Aerrow coughed, trying to rid the dust from his lungs.

"You fell and hit hard." Weaverbird explained, "Can you feel everything? Nothing's numb?" Aerrow hissed through his teeth as he flexed his fingers and toes.

"No, but I almost wish I was numb." Aerrow replied.

"Then your spine is intact. Good." Weaverbird sat back, inspection complete. Aerrow sat up, ignoring Piper's protests. Aerrow put a hand to his temple; his head was pounding violently. He swallowed, his stomach turning.

Although his legs felt like jelly, Aerrow tried to get up. He failed miserably, and ended up back on the ground, his head spinning. Piper caught him before he could cause himself further damage and laid him back down.

"Maybe you should take it easy for a while." Piper suggested softly. Aerrow grimaced, but didn't protest. Weaverbird picked Aerrow up by the back of his shirt. She craned her neck around and deposited him unceremoniously onto her back. Aerrow flopped limply against her neck, unwilling to move. Piper swung herself up behind him and put a hand against Aerrow's back to steady him. Weaverbird turned to Darksight.

"I think that's enough for today." She turned to take flight.

"I'll expect you to be ready by tomorrow morning, my student." Darksight called. Weaverbird huffed and looked at the warrior-turned-teacher over her shoulder.

"I'll be the judge of that." The Dragoness insisted firmly and made sure to buffet Darksight with a gust of wind from her wings as she took off. Darksight shrugged and returned to his cave, rustling his wings as he went.

"Perhaps this won't be so bad after all."

**Darksight plays rough! X3 Hope you enjoyed, and chapter six is in the works. So is the next chapter of 'Blue Moon'. Stay tuned, and I'll try to update again real soon!**

**Don't forget to leave a review on your way out! 83**


	6. Chapter 6: Lessons Begin

**Yes! I'm back again with another chapter! This one's a bit shorter than usual, I think, but oh well. -shrug-**

**I don't own Storm Hawks... I just like playing around with the characters!**

_**Lessons Begin**_

Apparently, Aerrow would not be ready the next day.

"_Aerrow!_ Hold still!"

"_Ow!_ But Piper, it -_agh!_ _Hurts!_"

"I know, but if you'd stop _squirming_ for a few minutes and try to _relax_, then we could get it over with faster and save us both a lot more time _and_ pain." Aerrow grumbled something under his breath, but luckily for him, Piper didn't catch it.

When Aerrow had awoken that morning, it felt as though his spine had fused into one piece. Every move he made was painful and he ended up lying in his room, feebly calling for help.

Piper eventually found him and, with Junko's help, moved Aerrow to the Infirmary. With several loud cracks and a handful of yelps from her patient, Weaverbird had put Aerrow's vertebrae back in working order. However, moving was still painful, which the healer had attributed to tightness in Aerrow's muscles. So Weaverbird had employed Piper to work the kinks out.

"Small, dexterous hands like yours are better for a job like this; large paws like mine tend to get in the way." Weaverbird had explained.

That was how Aerrow came to be lying on his front on an Infirmary bed, his shirt off, with Piper trying to work the tightness out of his muscles.

"This is really awkward." Aerrow muttered. Piper chuckled, using her knuckles to loosen a knot in Aerrow's shoulder. Her hands were getting sore; this was hard work.

"You're really tense, Aerrow." Piper sighed. Aerrow simply hmmed in reply. With the worst of the kinks gone, he finally relaxed and held still. He closed his eyes.

"Maybe you could do this for me more often, then." Aerrow teased sleepily. Piper rolled her eyes and moved to the small of his back. She accidentally brushed the side of his ribcage with the tips of her fingers when she moved her hand. Aerrow squirmed and snorted. Piper raised an eyebrow and quirked a grin.

"What was that?" Aerrow looked at her innocently, green eyes wide.

"What was what?" He asked. Piper grinned devilishly.

"Is someone ticklish?" Piper teased. She extended her fingers towards his sides and he tried to wriggle away. Unfortunately for him, Piper was faster; she started tickling him and Aerrow dissolved into a fit of un-Aerrow-like giggles.

"No, don't-_ha ha_- Please! _Piper!_" Aerrow tried to protest, but he was laughing too hard. Piper dug her fingers in one last time and let him catch his breath. Piper laughed.

"I didn't expect you to be so ticklish." Piper giggled.

"I didn't expect you to find out so easily." Aerrow moaned breathlessly. Piper chuckled. She got back to work on Aerrow's back, careful not to get too close to his ribs. Piper decided that Aerrow had lost enough dignity for one day.

* * *

"Take off your boots." Darksight ordered. Aerrow raised an eyebrow, but complied. Darksight wrinkled his nose. "And your socks." Aerrow removed those too. Darksight tossed Aerrow a black sash, indicating that he was to tie it around his head to cover his eyes. Once Aerrow was effectively blindfolded, Darksight continued.

"In order to survive when you're blind, the other senses must be utilized. In order to fight what cannot be seen, you must sharpen your senses. In order to _win_ the fight, your other senses must be honed to an extremely fine point, enough to trigger defensive mechanisms at half a moment's notice. I will help you fine-tune your other senses until you respond before an attack is made, and to defend yourself accordingly." Aerrow turned his head this way and that; he couldn't help trying to see, and he felt rather lost.

"How will I know what the attacker is going to do?" Aerrow asked confusedly. Darksight put a paw on the top of Aerrow's head and turned it to face him. It was one of those moments that Aerrow wondered if Darksight was actually blind or not.

"We'll get to that later. Right now you need to get used to being blind. Our first lesson will be on getting around when you can't see. And don't cheat, because I'll know if you do." Aerrow raised an eyebrow under the blindfold. Darksight turned Aerrow around and he almost fell. The Drake nudged Aerrow in the back with his snout. Aerrow winced slightly.

"Now walk to the pool and back." Darksight instructed. Aerrow was about to ask where the pool was, but dismissed it as a stupid question. He had barely taken three steps when he tripped and fell flat on his face. He spat out a mouthful of dust and sighed in frustration.

"Try again." Darksight urged, "But I wouldn't go that way if I were you." Aerrow blinked under the blindfold and flushed.

"The pool's not this way, is it?" Aerrow asked sheepishly. Darksight purred in amusement. It was a guttural sound that reverberated through Aerrow's chest.

"You didn't expect me to make it easy for you, did you?" Aerrow grimaced, but said nothing. Darksight released a full-throated laugh that almost knocked Aerrow back down again. "Remember: You need to rely on _all_ your senses, not just sight." Aerrow huffed and closed his eyes under the blindfold so he could focus on everything else. His ears pricked when the breeze made the water ripple. It was barely audible, but it was enough to turn Aerrow in the right direction. Darksight rumbled approvingly.

"Now you're getting it." Aerrow smiled slightly. He fell about five more times and after the sixth he got up and thought about the way he was walking. Aerrow decided he needed to keep both feet on the ground all the time, so he could feel the way the ground was shaped. He soon developed a kind of shuffle.

Aerrow's feet moved in an almost circular pattern that allowed him to scan the ground in front of him for anything that might trip him up. He soon reached the pool and carefully turned and walked back to stand in front of Darksight.

"Not bad, for a first try." Darksight commended, "Now let's try something harder…"

* * *

"Let's start with something easy," Weaverbird started, "Skin irritants. As long as you know what caused it, they're easy enough to treat." The Dragoness indicated the herbs she had laid out on a table, "Can you identify any of these?" Piper took a long look at each of the plants. She pointed to a fleshy, cactus-like leaf at the end of the row.

"That's aloe." Piper said, "It's usually used for burns, I think." Weaverbird nodded.

"That's right. Aloe is a jack-of-all-trades, so to speak, when it comes to injuries to the skin. It's most often used to treat burns, but it can also be put on small cuts to make them heal faster, or on a rash to at least soothe the itch. How about this one?" Weaverbird pointed with a claw to a golden-yellow flower with reddish spots. Piper frowned and shook her head.

"That's jewel weed," Weaverbird explained, "There's an oil on the petals that's good for plant-related irritations; most commonly poison ivy. Feel the petals." Piper rubbed a petal between her finger and thumb. A thin layer of oil rubbed off.

"Make sure you memorize it." Weaverbird continued instructing Piper on the various herbs and their uses late into the afternoon.

Aerrow didn't return until long after the sun had set. It was plain that he was exhausted, but Weaverbird insisted on keeping him up to treat various scrapes and bruises. It gave Piper the opportunity to put what she had learned to use.

Aerrow winced as Piper squeezed the juice from an aloe sprig onto a shallow cut on his shoulder.

"Where did you get that cut from?" Piper inquired. Aerrow hissed through his teeth as Piper rubbed it in.

"Fell on a rock." He muttered sharply. Piper raised an eyebrow.

"What about that huge bruise on your thigh?"

"Fell…"

"And that scrape on your neck?"

"The ground is as rough as it is hard, let's put it that way." Aerrow muttered, face starting to go red.

"You seem to be doing a lot of falling lately." Piper remarked, slightly amused. Aerrow didn't reply.

"What about the one just above-"

"_Don't_ go there, _please!_" Aerrow cut her off and Piper giggled. She could easily guess how Aerrow could get a bruise that low on his tailbone anyway. Piper finished treating Aerrow's wounds and sat on the examination table beside him. They sat in silence for a while, waiting for Weaverbird to return and inspect Piper's handiwork.

"That Darksight's really laying a beating on you, isn't he?" Piper asked sympathetically. Aerrow nodded, his eyes half closed.

"And all I was learning today was how to walk without seeing." Piper quirked a sympathetic grin and rested an arm around his shoulder. Aerrow leaned into Piper's shoulder and nodded off within the space of a minute. Piper sighed softly; Aerrow just couldn't catch a break these days. He was either defending against Cyclonians, recovering from injuries in the Infirmary, or running himself into the ground with rigorous training. Piper brushed Aerrow's crimson locks out of his face.

Weaverbird padded softly into the Infirmary a while later to discover the two Storm Hawks asleep, leaning on each other. Piper's head rested in the crook of Aerrow's neck, and his head was pillowed on her midnight locks. The Dragoness purred and headed for her quarters; in her opinion there wasn't any point in waking them up just to send them back to bed.

**Hehe, I like that ending! :3**

**So... Who else is betting that the Regeneration crystal from ep 27 acts as some sort of healing crystal? **

**I can't wait for the next ep. 8D This Saturday on YTV, peeps! 83**

**Review pweaze! :D**


	7. Chapter 7: Lessons Continue

_**Updating this one too, since it's been even longer than Ouroboros! Nothin' yet for Blue Moon, though. I'm going to wait until this one and Ouroboros are finished, since Blue Moon's kinda turning into the culminating story for the Weaverbird series. Kind of. Not telling! ;P**_

**_Enjoy! :D_**

_**Lessons Continue**_

And so it continued for many days. Aerrow would leave the Condor at sunrise to train with Darksight. Piper started her lessons with Weaverbird later in the morning. She'd spend the day learning the theory of healing or memorizing various herbs and their properties. When Aerrow returned battered and bruised from his lessons in the evening, Weaverbird would give Piper a practical lesson in healing.

Piper would learn various techniques from these practical lessons. Much of the time it was simply treating cuts and bruises, but something interesting cropped up occasionally. For instance, there was the time when Aerrow had fallen backwards onto a porcupine cactus. Piper had spent an hour carefully plucking the needles out while Aerrow winced and yelped.

There was another time when Aerrow had slammed into the wall during sparring practice with Darksight. He'd suffered a concussion and Weaverbird had whisked him straight back to the Condor to be treated properly. That evening consisted of learning headache remedies, natural painkillers, and herbal sedatives. Weaverbird had ordered Aerrow to remain on the Condor for the next day or two, giving the young sky knight some much needed time off.

Darksight was not pleased about this and doubled up on his rigorous training regime for three days. Aerrow almost always returned with a strained muscle or a pinched nerve that Piper had to work the tension out of. When Weaverbird confronted the blind warrior about this he had mumbled something about 'beating the human fragility' out of Aerrow.

Piper and Aerrow watched the argument from afar, Aerrow leaning on Piper to keep the weight off his sprained ankle. Weaverbird started snarling at the blind Drake in the language of Dragons. While neither of the humans understood what was said, it sounded ugly. Darksight let up on Aerrow's training after that.

Piper was helping Weaverbird gather some sage for her stores. They were searching on the rise overlooking Darksight's valley. Aerrow was showing signs of a bad cough, and Weaverbird was almost out of the airway-opening herb. The sky knight had stubbornly insisted on attending his lesson that day. Weaverbird had rumbled uneasily, but said nothing.

Piper shaded her eyes and looked up into the cloudless sky; it was really hot that day. She hoped Aerrow would take it easy. She looked down to see Aerrow and Darksight sparring vigorously and sighed worriedly. Aerrow had removed his shirt, presumably to keep cool in the heat. Weaverbird looked up and followed Piper's gaze. The Dragoness narrowed her sapphire eyes.

"He's going easy on him." Weaverbird mused. Piper looked at her.

"What?"

"Darksight. He's taking it easy on Aerrow." Piper looked down into the valley again. It seemed that Weaverbird was right; Darksight traded blows with Aerrow with considerably less ferocity than he did in their first disastrous sparring session.

Piper watched as Aerrow parried one of Darksight's blows and staggered away. His hand flew up to his brow. Piper narrowed her eyes; something wasn't right.

Aerrow swayed where he stood and collapsed into a crumpled heap. Piper gasped. She leaped up onto Weaverbird's back and they flew down into the valley.

Kneeling at Aerrow's side and removing his blindfold, Piper carefully eased him onto his back. She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead; He was burning up with fever and sweating profusely, effectively slicking down his wayward crimson locks. Darksight nudged Aerrow's body with his snout.

"I knew something wasn't right," The blind Drake growled irritably, "He knew it too. I should've known better. I'm as much a fool as he is for letting him train today…" Weaverbird reared up and snuffled in the shell of Darksight's ear reassuringly.

"We tried to stop him, but he insisted on coming today. There wasn't anything we could have done anything to persuade him otherwise." Darksight sighed and shook his enormous head. Weaverbird ran her muzzle along Aerrow's face, resting the hollow of her chin on his brow. Her lip twitched, exposing a fang for a split second.

Piper scooped up some water from the spring and gently sprinkled a little Aerrow's face to cool him down. He twitched for a moment and settled with a ragged sigh. Piper dabbed her wet hand in the crooks of his neck and helped Weaverbird hoist the sky knight onto her back.

Darksight looked up to stare through them. Piper blinked in surprise to see a hint of guilt written across the Drake's face. From her vantage point atop Weaverbird's back, she reached up and patted Darksight's muzzle.

"Don't worry; we'll take care of him." Piper murmured softly. Darksight lipped her fingers slightly in what seemed like an affectionate gesture.

"I know." He rumbled back. Weaverbird heaved herself into the air and Darksight returned to his cave.

* * *

Piper set down the bowl of water she was carrying on Aerrow's bedside table and retrieved a clean facecloth from one of the Infirmary's cupboards. She submerged the cloth in the icy water, the cold from the ice cubes numbing her hand slightly.

Piper wrung the excess moisture from the cloth and pressed it to Aerrow's forehead. Aerrow moaned and clenched his fists on top of the sheets. Piper stroked his cheek and Weaverbird looked up from where she was stripping the leaves from a few sprigs of feverfew and sage.

Aerrow simply shifted slightly and sighed a painful sigh. Piper gave a sigh of her own and looked at Weaverbird; they could tell just from Aerrow's breathing that his lungs were bothering him. Weaverbird rustled her wings and padded over.

"How's his fever?" The healer inquired quietly. Piper shook her head despondently.

"It's been hours and it hasn't gone down, not even a little. Maybe it's worse than we thought." Weaverbird ruffled Piper's hair.

"Give it a little more time; fevers like this one tend to take a day or so to break." Piper sighed again. "I'll be back in a few minutes. See if maybe you can get him to drink a little water in the meantime. A little fresh air never hurts either, so feel free to open a window as well." Weaverbird directed. Piper nodded and gently sponged Aerrow's brow again. The Dragoness padded out of the room.

Aerrow's breathing was so ragged and strained that Piper wasn't particularly surprised when he dissolved into a coughing fit. Aerrow had been settled on several stacked pillows to elevate him and help keep the pressure off of his lungs. Piper eased her hand underneath Aerrow and gently rubbed his back, hoping to ease the coughing a little.

The coughing slowed after a while until it translated into labored, ragged gasps. Piper opened a window to let a cool breeze blow through. She filled a glass with water and dripped a little on his lips to see if he'd respond. Aerrow cringed slightly and moaned. His green eyes fluttered open and he stared around the Infirmary for a moment.

"Wha… What happened?" Aerrow croaked weakly. Piper made him take a drink of water. Aerrow drained two and a half glasses before falling back into the pillows.

"You fainted." Piper replied, soaking the cool cloth for his brow again. Aerrow cringed as she pressed the cloth to his fevered skin. He tried to sit up, but Piper put a hand on his shoulder and forced him back down.

"Take it easy; your fever's still pretty high." Piper warned him, "Weaverbird's making something to bring it down. You need to rest." Aerrow released a wheezing sigh as he settled back into the pillows. His lungs were aching fiercely and he had to fight down the urge to cough. His head throbbed from lack of oxygen.

Piper dabbed at Aerrow's brow again. He sighed with relief and let his eyes close for a moment. The two Storm Hawks sat in silence for a while.

"Where would we be without you, Piper?" Aerrow wheezed. He opened one eye and grinned weakly at her. Piper returned the smile.

"Probably in a prison cell on Cyclonia." Piper chuckled. Aerrow laughed, but it caught in his throat and made him cough. Piper passed him another glass of water, but he declined.

"I'm alright…" He trailed off into another coughing fit. Piper frowned and proffered the glass again. Aerrow accepted it with shaking hands and forced down a swallow of water. He handed back to Piper who returned it to the bedside table. He shut his eyes with a soft moan. Aerrow was silent for so long that Piper thought he had fallen asleep again. He spoke after a few moments.

"What did Darksight say?" Aerrow asked apprehensively. Piper knew he must be thinking back to the last time he had missed a lesson. She couldn't help but understand his slight sense of dread. She submerged the cloth in the bowl of cold water again. The ice cubes clicked gently against the sides.

"He said he was as big a fool as you for letting you train today. Even _he_ could tell you were sick." Piper shot her sky knight a stern look. He grinned sheepishly.

"Sounds like something Darksight would say." Aerrow croaked, rolling his green eyes. His voice seemed a little stronger now. Piper shrugged; she didn't really know Darksight all that well. Who was she to judge? She folded the cloth and spread it across Aerrow's brow just as Weaverbird returned with the kettle.

"Ah, good, you're awake." Weaverbird chirped crisply. She set about boiling water and dropped a few sage and feverfew leaves into a waiting mug, "I'm running a hot shower for you, Aerrow; the steam might help ease the irritation in your lungs for the time being. Respiratory illness is not uncommon in these parts." Aerrow nodded and settled back into the pillows.

Once the brew Weaverbird had mixed was heated, she placed the mug in Aerrow's hands. He blew on it to cool it slightly and took a sip. He made a face at the sour flavour. Weaverbird smiled sympathetically and urged him to finish the rest. Aerrow downed the rest of the drink as quickly as he could without burning his throat.

Weaverbird guided the two Storm Hawks to the bathroom, which was quickly filling the room with warm steam. She instructed Piper to sit with Aerrow until his cough started to die down. They sat together in the middle of the floor, Piper gently rubbing Aerrow's back while he inhaled the moist air. They sat in silence for a bit while Aerrow's breathing slowly grew less ragged.

"How's that?" Piper asked. Aerrow drew a deep breath and let it out slowly; it came much more easily now.

"Much better." Aerrow replied. His voice sounded better too, almost back to his normal tone. Piper pressed a hand to his brow; the fever had gone down considerably. She called for Weaverbird who entered and gave Aerrow one more once over.

"I think you'll have mostly recovered by morning," Weaverbird replied, "but just in case, I'm keeping you on the sage for the next few days. Make sure you let Darksight know when you see him tomorrow, so he knows not to go too hard on you." She gave Aerrow a sidelong stare and Aerrow nodded, knowing better than to argue.

Weaverbird sent him to bed, having set a humidifier up in his room to ease the strain on his lungs. Aerrow fell asleep wondering (and not for the first time, either) why everything seemed to happen to him.

**_Don't forget to press that little pretty button that says 'Review' on your way out, eh? ;D_**


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